I'll be taking a small group of students and parents to Greece on May 31. I plan to end our drive through the Pellopennese by going to the Temple of Poseidon at Suonio and watching the sunset then return the van to the airport and take the subway into Athens and our hotel. Does this sound like a good idea?
Also, is it worth the price of admission (5 euro) to go into the Panathenaic Stadium? It looks great but......
John
The Panathenaic is pretty much 'what you see is what you get'. The front of the site is open and you can get a good idea of the scale without going in. Having said that the advantages of paying are
a) the kids can actually run on the track, stand on the podium etc
b) you get great views back across to the Acropolis from the top tier
c) there's a tunnel at the back left which contains a small history of the site
People say the audio tour, which takes about an hour, is good but I've never done it so can't confirm.
Alan
Regarding the sunset at Sounio, before deciding, do check some reviews, and candid guidebooks like Rough Guide. One of the problems is that this place is SO popular with bus tours, that around Sunset there can be 20+ busses with hundreds of people jamming the site. Many people have recommended going to Sounio instead in early AM for the morning light, then going to the beach just below, but that doesn't fit your schedule.
How about instead, walking along the pedestrianized promenade on South Side of Acropolis, (view on this map -- click & it gets huuuuge - http://www.orangesmile.com/destinations/img/athens-map-big.jpg ), and climbing up the hill called the Pnyx? (on this map it's called Pnika). This is where assemblies were held during Athens' golden age, where Pericles gave his famous orations; and it gives a wonderful view of the Acropolis turning gold in the sunset.
As for returning your van at Airport and then taking a group of newcomers with all their luggage and their important stuff (cash, credit cards, passports) on their person, and put them on the Athens Metro --- I say no no no. Athens is one of the safest cities in all Europe, but the two places that pickpockets target are the airport & seaport) Metro lines. Cars get crowded, someone bumps you and whoops! they're out the door and your wallet is missing. You cannot watch everyone and despite warnings, newbies WILL keep valuables in pockets or backpacks. Instead, take group to airport curb and catch the X95 Express bus to Syntagma Square. Goes every 20 minutes, costs Less, takes same time as metro (if you figure in the time required to reach Metro platform & then at end get from lower level up to street). You buy ticket at kiosk near bus stop - be SURE yr people "Validate" tickets by stamping them in a pole-mounted box inside bus. Bags are piled in central pen inside bus. No one can board bus after airport & only 2 stops = no pickpocketing. Another difference is that when Metro reaches Syntagma, there's a mad rush to push your way off before doors close; by contrast, bus terminates curbside at Syntagma, allows ample time to get bags and exit to sidewalk. I don't know how far Syntagma bus stop will be from your hotel, because you haven't given its name ... but distance would be same from Metro.
I've traveled on the Athens Metro several times and I've never had a problem. When I take students on a trip we talk about safety concerns and how to protect yourself. I don' think the Metro will be a problem since we will be taking it to the airport when we leave. The advice on avoiding the crowds at Suonio was good. I may just skip it. I'm not a touristy kind of tour guide and I try to avoid crowds so that my students can see the archeological sites and not have to view it thru a gaggle of tourists.
We will be staying at the Hotel Attalos so a walk from Syntagma Square isn't necessary since we can get off the Metro at Monastiraki Square. I like my students to be on the street, seeing/meeting Athenians and experiencing the city, not seeing it from a sealed bus, only observing, not experiencing. Eat the food, drink the wine, walk the backstreets along the Agora.
We did the stadium and really enjoyed it. We used the audio guide and it was pretty thorough. Walking down the tunnel and imaging oneself a competitor made the whole place seem real. The day we were there (mid-May) was a field day for some Athenian school kids, so they were doing events - fun to watch. To get there we walked through the park next to Syntagma Square - which gave us a chance to see some guard-changing on the back side.
